{"id":25167,"date":"2000-03-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-03-05T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/bir-singh-ors-vs-pyare-singh-ors-on-6-march-2000"},"modified":"2015-10-28T07:44:42","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T02:14:42","slug":"bir-singh-ors-vs-pyare-singh-ors-on-6-march-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/bir-singh-ors-vs-pyare-singh-ors-on-6-march-2000","title":{"rendered":"Bir Singh &amp; Ors vs Pyare Singh &amp; Ors on 6 March, 2000"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Bir Singh &amp; Ors vs Pyare Singh &amp; Ors on 6 March, 2000<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: D.P.Mohapatra<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: S.S.Ahmad, D.P.Mohapatro<\/div>\n<pre>           PETITIONER:\nBIR SINGH &amp; ORS.\n\n\tVs.\n\nRESPONDENT:\nPYARE SINGH &amp; ORS.\n\nDATE OF JUDGMENT:\t06\/03\/2000\n\nBENCH:\nS.S.Ahmad, D.P.Mohapatro\n\n\n\n\nJUDGMENT:\n<\/pre>\n<p>      D.P.MOHAPATRA,J.\n<\/p>\n<p>      On  analysis  of\tthe  case of  the  parties  and\t the<br \/>\ncontentions raised on their behalf the question which arises<br \/>\nfor  determination is whether in the facts and circumstances<br \/>\nof  the\t case  the appellants can be said  to  be  khatedar<br \/>\ntenants\t of  the  land\tin dispute.  If\t this  question\t is<br \/>\nanswered  in  the affirmative then the further question\t for<br \/>\nconsideration will be whether the right of the appellants in<br \/>\nthe land in dispute was extinguished under section 12 of the<br \/>\nRajasthan  Tenancy Act, 1955 (for short the Tenancy  Act).<br \/>\nThe  High  Court  of  Rajasthan having\tanswered  the  first<br \/>\nquestion  in  the  negative  and dismissed the\tsuit  ,\t the<br \/>\nplaintiffs are in appeal against the judgment.\n<\/p>\n<p>      The   factual   matrix  of   the\tcase  relevant\t for<br \/>\nappreciation  of  the  question for  determination,  may  be<br \/>\nstated\tthus  :\t &#8211; Late Chet Singh held zamindari rights  in<br \/>\nrespect\t  of   the  disputed   land  situated\tin   Village<br \/>\nMohammadpur,  of  Tehsil-Dholpur in the State of  Rajasthan.<br \/>\nAs he was serving in the army he had engaged Sohan Singh for<br \/>\ncultivation  of\t the land.  Since Sohan Singh got  his\tname<br \/>\nrecorded  in  the revenue records as the owner of  the\tland<br \/>\nChet  Singh  filed a suit, against him before the  Assistant<br \/>\nCollector,  Dholpur.   In  the said suit  a  compromise\t was<br \/>\nentered\t into  between\tthe parties and\t possession  of\t the<br \/>\nproperty was delivered by Sohan Singh to Chet Singh.  In the<br \/>\nsaid  compromise  it  was averred that Chet  Singh  was\t the<br \/>\nKhudkasht  Kashatkar  of the disputed land and that  Sohan<br \/>\nSingh voluntarily handed over possession of the land to Chet<br \/>\nSingh.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Chet  Singh mortgaged the land with Charan Singh for a<br \/>\nperiod\tof ten years for satisfaction of the loan  amounting<br \/>\nto   Rs.300\/-  vide  the   registered  mortgage\t deed  dated<br \/>\n22.9.1956.    Chet  Singh  expired  in\t1965   leaving\t the<br \/>\nappellants as his legal heirs.\tAs Charan Singh did not hand<br \/>\nover  possession of the land even after expiry of the period<br \/>\nof mortgage the appellants filed a suit, under Section 43(3)<br \/>\nread  with  Section  183 of the Tenancy Act  against  Charan<br \/>\nSingh  seeking\trecovery  of possession of  the\t land.\t The<br \/>\nAdditional  District Collector, by the order dated 12.5.1983<br \/>\nin  case  no.  142\/82 decreed the suit and  directed  Charan<br \/>\nSingh  to hand over vacant possession of the land in dispute<br \/>\nto  the\t appellants declaring them as  Khatedar\t kashtkar.<br \/>\nCharan Singh was further directed to pay to the appellants a<br \/>\nsum  of\t Rs.3400\/- as penalty for illegal occupation of\t the<br \/>\nland during the seventeen agricultural years after expiry of<br \/>\nthe  mortgage period.  In the appeal, Appeal no.253 of 1983,<br \/>\nfiled  by  Charan  Singh the  Revenue  Appellate  Authority,<br \/>\nBharatpur  by the order dated 15.7.1985 dismissed the appeal<br \/>\nand   confirmed\t the  order  of\t the   Additional   District<br \/>\nCollector.   The  second  appeal, RTA  no.144\/85,  filed  by<br \/>\nCharan\tSingh before the Rajasthan Revenue Appellate  Board,<br \/>\nwas  dismissed\tby the order dated 22.6.1993.  Charan  Singh<br \/>\nexpired\t on 25.2.1991 during pendency of the appeal and\t the<br \/>\nrespondents herein were substituted as his legal heirs.\t The<br \/>\nrespondents  challenged\t the order of the Revenue  Appellate<br \/>\nBoard  in  CWP No.4159\/93 before the Rajasthan\tHigh  Court.<br \/>\nThe  High Court by the Jugdment dated 24.2.1994 allowed\t the<br \/>\nwrit   petition,  quashed  the\t concurrent  orders  of\t the<br \/>\nstatutory  authorities\tand  dismissed the suit.   The\tsaid<br \/>\njudgment is under challenge in the present appeal.\n<\/p>\n<p>      The  thrust  of  the submissions made by\tthe  learned<br \/>\ncounsel\t for the appellants is that the High Court erred  in<br \/>\nreversing   the\t concurrent  decisions\t of  the   statutory<br \/>\nauthorities  on\t the  erroneous finding that  they  are\t not<br \/>\nentitled  to  recover  possession of land in  dispute.\t The<br \/>\nlearned\t counsel  contends  that   after  abolition  of\t the<br \/>\nZamindari  right  of  the  appellants  under  the  Rajasthan<br \/>\nZamindari  and Biswedari Abolition Act, 1959 [for short the<br \/>\nZamindari  Abolition  Act] the appellants were entitled\t to<br \/>\nretain\tthe  land  in  dispute which was  a  part  of  their<br \/>\nkhudkasht land as recorded in the revenue records.\n<\/p>\n<p>      The learned counsel for the respondents supporting the<br \/>\nimpugned  judgment submitted that in view of the  undisputed<br \/>\nfactual\t position that the appellants were not in occupation<br \/>\nof  the land in dispute on the date the Zamindari  Abolition<br \/>\nAct  came into force they could not retain possession of the<br \/>\nland,  notwithstanding\tthe  entry in  the  revenue  records<br \/>\nshowing\t the land as khudkasht.\t He placed reliance on the<br \/>\ndecision  of  this  Court in the case of Budha\tVs.   Amilal<br \/>\n[1991 Supp.(2) SCC 41].\n<\/p>\n<p>      Undisputedly,  the plaintiff had lost possession\tover<br \/>\nthe  land in dispute by 22 September, 1956 when the mortgage<br \/>\ndeed  was  registered.\t It  is\t not  in  dispute  that\t the<br \/>\nplaintiff  was\tseeking\t recovery  of  possession  from\t the<br \/>\nmortgagee Charan Singh in the suit filed in September, 1967.<br \/>\nIt is also an accepted position that the land in dispute was<br \/>\nshown in the revenue record as khudkasht land.\tIt is also<br \/>\naccepted  position  that Chet Singh, the predecessor in\t the<br \/>\ninterest  of the appellants, held Zamindari right over\tland<br \/>\nin dispute.  In this backdrop the question for consideration<br \/>\nis  whether after enforcement of the Zamindari Abolition Act<br \/>\nthe plaintiffs could claim right of possession over the land<br \/>\nin  dispute.   From  the  orders  passed  by  the  statutory<br \/>\nauthorities   it   appears  that   this\t question  was\t not<br \/>\nspecifically adverted to by the authorities.  They proceeded<br \/>\nto  determine the controversy on the basis of the provisions<br \/>\nin Sections 10 and 12 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  section 2(3) of the Zamindari Abolition Act land<br \/>\nmeans  every  class or category of land forming part  of  an<br \/>\nestate and includes<\/p>\n<p>      (a) benefits to arise out of such land,<\/p>\n<p>      (b)  things  attached  to\t the  earth  or\t permanently<br \/>\nfastened to anything attached to the earth,<\/p>\n<p>      (c) sites of villages or towns,<\/p>\n<p>      (d)  beds\t of  tanks, ponds, embankments,\t rivers\t and<br \/>\nwater channels, and<\/p>\n<p>      (e) surface of hills<\/p>\n<p>      Under  sub-section(5)  of\t the said section  the\tterm<br \/>\nZamindar  has the meaning assigned to it by clause (46) of<br \/>\nsection\t  5  of\t the  Tenancy\tAct  and  includes  a  malik<br \/>\n(landowner)  in\t the  Gang Canal  area.\t  Sub-section(6)  of<br \/>\nsection 2 provides that words and expressions defined in the<br \/>\nTenancy\t Act  and  in the Rajasthan Land Revenue  Act,\t1956<br \/>\n(Rajasthan  Act\t 15  of 1956) but not defined  in  this\t Act<br \/>\nshall,\twherever  used\therein,\t be construed  to  have\t the<br \/>\nmeaning assigned to them by those Acts.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  sub-section(7)  of section 2 it is laid down\tthat<br \/>\nthe  words  and\t expression  used to denote  the  person  in<br \/>\npossession  of any right, title or interest shall be  deemed<br \/>\nto  include the predecessors and successors in right,  title<br \/>\nor interest of such person.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Section  3 which is the provision regarding overriding<br \/>\neffect\tof  this Act over other laws provides that  save  as<br \/>\notherwise  expressly provided in this Act, the provisions of<br \/>\nthis  Act, and of the rules and orders made thereunder shall<br \/>\nhave  effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith<br \/>\ncontained  in any other law and rules for the time being  in<br \/>\nforce  or any instrument having effect by virtue of any\t law<br \/>\nor  usage, agreement, settlement, grant sanad or any  decree<br \/>\nor order of any court of other authority.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Chapter  II  of  the Act comprises of  the  provisions<br \/>\nregarding Abolition of Zamindari and Biswedari Estates.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  section  5 which is included in the  said  chapter<br \/>\nprovisions  are\t made regarding consequences  of  abolition.<br \/>\nThe  relevant portions of the section are quoted hereunder :\n<\/p>\n<p>5.  Consequences of abolition (1)<\/p>\n<p>      XXX XXX XXX<\/p>\n<p>      (2)  As  from the date of vesting of any Zamindari  or<br \/>\nBiswedari  estate  in the State Government,  notwithstanding<br \/>\nanything  contained in any contract, grant or other document<br \/>\nor  in\tany  law  for the time being in force  but  save  as<br \/>\notherwise provided in this Act-\n<\/p>\n<p>      (a)such  estate  shall stand transferred to, and\tvest<br \/>\nin, the State Government free from all encumbrances.\n<\/p>\n<p>      (b)the  right,  title and interest of the Zamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  and of every person claiming through him, in\tsuch<br \/>\nestate,\t including  land  (cultivable,\t waste\tor   barren)<br \/>\ngrove-land,  grass  land  or birs,  scrub  jungle,  forests,<br \/>\ntrees,\tfisheries, hills, wells tanks, ponds, water  courses<br \/>\nand channels, ferries, pathways, village sites, abadi sites,<br \/>\nhats,  bazars,\tmeans and mela grounds, and in all sub\tsoil<br \/>\ntherein,  including  rights, if any, in quarries  and  mines<br \/>\nwhether\t being worked or not and in all mineral and  mineral<br \/>\nproducts, shall cease and be vested in the State Government,<br \/>\nfree  from all encumbrances, for the purposes of the  State,<br \/>\nand  every mortgage, debt or charge on any such right, title<br \/>\nor  interest shall be a charge on the amount of compensation<br \/>\npayable to the Zamindar or Biswedar under this Act;\n<\/p>\n<p>      XXX XXX XXX<\/p>\n<p>      (d)  every right, title or interest created in or over<br \/>\nsuch   estate\tby  the\t Zamindar   or\t Biswedar   or\t his<br \/>\npredecessor-in-interest\t  shall,   as\tagainst\t the   State<br \/>\nGovernment,  cease  and determine;  all rents and cesses  in<br \/>\nrespect\t of any holdings in such estate for any period after<br \/>\nthe date of vesting, which, but for such vesting, would have<br \/>\nbeen  payable to the Zamindar or Biswedar, shall vest in and<br \/>\nbe  payable to the State Government, and any payment made in<br \/>\ncontravention  of this clause shall not be a valid discharge<br \/>\nof the person liable to pay the same;\n<\/p>\n<p>      XXX XXX XXX<\/p>\n<p>      (j)  every  mortgage with possession existing on\tsuch<br \/>\nestate or part thereof on the date immediately preceding the<br \/>\ndate  of vesting shall, to the extent of the amount  secured<br \/>\non  such estate or part, be deemed, without prejudice to the<br \/>\nrights\tof the State Government under this section, to\thave<br \/>\nbeen substituted by a simple mortgage;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (k)  no  claim  or liability enforceable\tor  incurred<br \/>\nbefore\tthe  date of vesting against or by the\tZamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  for any money which is charged on or in secured by<br \/>\na  mortgage of such estate or part thereof shall, except  as<br \/>\nprovided in section 73 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882<br \/>\n(Central  Act IV of 1882), be enforceable against his right,<br \/>\ntitle or interest in such estate or part;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (l)  Subject  to\tany rules made in this\tbehalf,\t all<br \/>\nsuits  and  proceedings\t affecting such\t estate,  in  which,<br \/>\nbecause\t of the same having vesting in the State Government,<br \/>\nthe  latter  will be a neessary part, pending in any  court,<br \/>\ncivil  or revenue, at the date of vesting and all proceeding<br \/>\nconsequent upon any decree or orders passed in any such suit<br \/>\nor  proceeding before such date, shall not be proceeded with<br \/>\ntill,  on  an  application made in that\t behalf,  the  State<br \/>\nGovernment is made a party thereto;\n<\/p>\n<p>      XXX XXX XXX<\/p>\n<p>      (4)Notwithstanding  anything contained in\t sub-section<br \/>\n(2)  the  Zamindar  or\tBiswedar   shall,  subject  to\t the<br \/>\nprovisions  of section 29, continue to retain the possession<br \/>\nof  his Khudkasht, recorded as such in the annual  registers<br \/>\nbefore the date of vesting.  (emphasis supplied)<\/p>\n<p>      Section  29 of the Act which is included in Chapter V-<br \/>\nMiscellaneous  contains provision regarding Khatedari rights<br \/>\nin  Khudkasht  land.   In  sub-section\t(1)  thereof  it  is<br \/>\nprovided  that as from the date of vesting of an estate, the<br \/>\nZamindar  or  Biswedar\tthereof\t shall be  a  Malik  of\t any<br \/>\nkhudkasht  land in his occupation on such date and shall, as<br \/>\nsuch  Malik, be entitled to all the rights conferred and  be<br \/>\nsubject\t to all the liabilities imposed on a khatedar tenant<br \/>\nby  or\tunder the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955.\t Sub-section<br \/>\n(2)  of the section is not relevant for the present purpose.<br \/>\n(emphasis  supplied)  Section  30  contains  the  provisions<br \/>\nregarding  rights  of  tenants\tin  estate.   Sub-section(1)<br \/>\nthereof\t provides that subject to the provisions of sections<br \/>\n15,  15A,  15B\tand 16 of the Rajasthan Tenancy\t Act,  every<br \/>\ntenant\tin an estate, other than a tenant of Khudkasht or  a<br \/>\nsub-tenant,  shall,  as\t from the date of  vesting,  be\t the<br \/>\nkhatedar tenant of the land comprised in his holding, unless<br \/>\nhe  has acquired Khatedari rights therein before such  date,<br \/>\nand  shall,  as from the date of vesting, pay to  the  State<br \/>\nGovernment,  until rents are settled in accordance with\t the<br \/>\nprovisions   of\t the  Rajasthan\t  Land\tRevenue\t Act,\t1956<br \/>\n(Rajasthan  Act No.15 of 1956), by way of rent therefor\t the<br \/>\nsame  amount  as  he  had been paying  to  the\tZamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  immediately  before  such date but  not  exceeding<br \/>\ntwice\tthe  land  revenue   payable  in  respect   thereof.<br \/>\nSub-section(2)\tof  the said section lays down that  upon  a<br \/>\nZamindar  or Biswedar becoming a Malik of his Khudkasht land<br \/>\nunder  section\t29, every tenant of such Khudkasht shall  be<br \/>\nthe  sub-tenant of the land in his occupation holding  under<br \/>\nand from such Malik.\n<\/p>\n<p>      The expression Khudkasht is defined in section 5(23)<br \/>\nof  the\t Act  to  mean\t land in  any  part  of\t the  State<br \/>\ncultivated  personally by an estate-holder and shall include\n<\/p>\n<p>  (i)  land recorded as khudkasht, sir, havala, niji-  jot,<br \/>\ngharkhed  in settlement records at the commencement of\tthis<br \/>\nAct  in\t accordance with law in force at the time when\tsuch<br \/>\nrecord was made, and<\/p>\n<p>      (ii)   land  allotted  after   such  commencement\t  as<br \/>\nkhudkasht  under any law for the time being in force in\t any<br \/>\npart of the State.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  Section  5(46)  Zamindar is defined  to  mean\t a<br \/>\nperson on whom a village or portion of a village in any part<br \/>\nof  the State is settled on the Zamindari system and who  is<br \/>\nrecorded as such in the record of rights and shall include a<br \/>\nproprietor  as\tdefined\t in clause(a) of section  2  of\t the<br \/>\nMadhya\tBharat Zamindari Abolition Act, Samvat 2008  (Madhya<br \/>\nBharat Act of 1951), if any, in the Sunel area.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Section 43 contains the provisions regarding mortgage.<br \/>\nThe portions of the said section relevant for the purpose of<br \/>\nthe case are extracted below :\t43.  XXXXX XXXXX XXXX<\/p>\n<p>      (3)A  usufructuary  mortgage   under  sub-  section(2)<br \/>\nshall, upon the expiry of the period mentioned hereinbefore,<br \/>\nbe deemed to have been satisfied in full without any payment<br \/>\nwhatsoever  by the mortgagor, and the mortgage debt shall be<br \/>\ndeemed\tto  have  been extinguished and the  mortgaged\tland<br \/>\nredeemed  and  the possession thereof shall be delivered  by<br \/>\nthe mortgagee to the mortgagor free from all encumbrances.\n<\/p>\n<p>      (4)  A  usufructuary mortgage of any land made  before<br \/>\nthe  commencement of this Act shall, upon the expiry of\t the<br \/>\nperiod\tmentioned in the mortgage deed or twenty years\tfrom<br \/>\nthe  date of execution thereof, whichever period is less, be<br \/>\ndeemed\tto  have been satisfied in full without any  payment<br \/>\nwhatsoever  by\tthe  mortgagor and the mortgage\t debt  shall<br \/>\naccordingly   be  deemed  to   have  been  extinguished\t and<br \/>\nthereupon   the\t mortgaged  land   shall  be  redeemed\t and<br \/>\npossession  thereof shall be delivered to the mortgagor free<br \/>\nfrom all encumbrances.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Section  183 of the Act under which the suit was filed<br \/>\nreads as follows:  183.Ejectment of certain trespassers (1)<br \/>\nNotwithstanding anything to the contrary in any provision of<br \/>\nthis Act, a tresspasser who has taken or retained possession<br \/>\nof  any\t land  without lawful authority shall be  liable  to<br \/>\nejectment,   subject   to  the\t  provision   contained\t  in<br \/>\nsub-section(2),\t on  the  suit\tof  the\t person\t or  persons<br \/>\nentitled to eject him, and shall be further liable to pay as<br \/>\npenalty\t for each agricultural year, during the whole or any<br \/>\npart whereof he has been in such possession, a sum which may<br \/>\nextend to fifteen times the annual rent.\n<\/p>\n<p>      (2)  In  case of land which is held directly from\t the<br \/>\nState  Government  or to which the State  Government  acting<br \/>\nthrough\t the Tehsildar, is entitled to admit the  trespasser<br \/>\nas  tenant,  the Tehsildar shall proceed in accordance\twith<br \/>\nthe  provisions of section 91 of the Rajasthan Land  Revenue<br \/>\nAct, 1956 (Rajasthan Act 15 of 1956).\n<\/p>\n<p>      On  a  reading  of  the provisions  of  the  Zamindari<br \/>\nAbolition Act noted above it is clear that a Zamindar who is<br \/>\nin  possession\/occupation  of Khudkasht land on the date  of<br \/>\nvesting of the estate becomes a Khatedar tenant on abolition<br \/>\nof  the\t Zamindari right under section 29 of  the  Zamindari<br \/>\nAbolition  Act.\t Under the said section a Zamindar becomes a<br \/>\nMalik  of the Khudkasht land in his occupation and as  Malik<br \/>\nhe shall be entitled to all the rights conferred and all the<br \/>\nliabilities  imposed  on a Khatedar tenant by or  under\t the<br \/>\nAct.   It follows as a corollary that if the Zamindar is not<br \/>\nin  occupation of the Khudkasht land on the date of  vesting<br \/>\nhe  is\tnot entitled to claim Khatedari right in  the  land.<br \/>\nThe  scheme  behind this provision is that if a Zamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  is in actual occupation of cultivable land on\t the<br \/>\ndate  of  abolition  of his Zamindari right then  he  should<br \/>\ncontinue  to  be  in possession of such land.\tThis  is  in<br \/>\naccordance  with  the  object  of  bringing  about  agrarian<br \/>\nreforms\t by  giving  the land to the person  in\t cultivating<br \/>\npossession  of\tthe  land.   If\t  the  Zamindar\t is  not  in<br \/>\noccupation of the Khudkasht land on the date of vesting then<br \/>\nsuch  land vests in the State along with the other lands<br \/>\nsubject\t to  the provisions in the Zamindari Abolition\tAct.<br \/>\nIn  respect  of such land Zamindar is not entitled to  claim<br \/>\nany  right of possession and consequentially is not entitled<br \/>\nto  maintain  a suit for recovery of possession of the\tland<br \/>\nfrom  any  other person.  In the case of Budha\tVs.   Amilal<br \/>\n(supra)\t a  Division  Bench of this Court  interpreting\t the<br \/>\nprovisions  of sections 29 , 5(2)(a), (b),(j), 5(4) and 2(6)<br \/>\nof  the\t Zamindari Abolition Act and sections  5(23)(I)\t and<br \/>\n(25)  of  the Rajasthan Tenancy Act held :  Even if  it\t is<br \/>\nassumed\t that  the  lands in dispute have to be\t treated  as<br \/>\nKhudkasht  lands of the appellant by virtue of clause (I) of<br \/>\nthe   inclusive\t part  of   the\t definition  of\t Khudkasht<br \/>\ncontained in Section 5(23) of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, the<br \/>\nappellant  cannot succeed in his claim that he has  acquired<br \/>\nKhatedari  rights in respect of those lands on the basis  of<br \/>\nthe  provisions\t contained in sub- section (4) of Section  5<br \/>\nand  sub-section (1) of Section 29 of the Act.\t Sub-section<br \/>\n(4)  of\t Section  5 provides that  notwithstanding  anything<br \/>\ncontained  in  sub-section (2) of Section 5 the Zamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  shall\t subject  to the provisions of\tSection\t 29,<br \/>\ncontinue to retain the possession of his Khudkasht, recorded<br \/>\nas  such in the annual registers before the date of vesting.<br \/>\nThe  words  continue to retain the possession, imply  that<br \/>\nlands which are recorded as Khudkasht in the annual register<br \/>\nbefore\tthe  date of vesting should be in possession of\t the<br \/>\nZamindar  or  Biswedar on the date of vesting.\tIf he is  in<br \/>\npossession  of\tsuch  lands he can continue  to\t retain\t the<br \/>\npossession  of the same subject to the provisions of Section\n<\/p>\n<p>29.   Sub-section(1)  of Section 29 prescribes that as\tfrom<br \/>\nthe  date of vesting of an estate, the Zamindar or  Biswedar<br \/>\nthereof\t shall\tbe  a  malik of any Khudkasht  land  in\t his<br \/>\noccupation  on\tsuch  date  and shall,\tas  such  malik,  be<br \/>\nentitled  to all rights conferred and the subject to all the<br \/>\nliabilities  imposed  on a Khatedar tenant by or  under\t the<br \/>\nRajasthan  Tenancy  Act.   Under  this\tprovision  Khatedari<br \/>\nrights\thave  been  statutorily conferred on a\tZamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  as  from the date of the vesting of the estate  in<br \/>\nrespect\t of  Khudkasht\tlands  in  the\toccupation  of\tsuch<br \/>\nZamindar  or  Biswedar\ton  such date.\tThe  words  in\this<br \/>\noccupation  on such date postulates that the lands,  though<br \/>\nKhudkasht,  should  be in the occupation of the Zamindar  or<br \/>\nBiswedar  on  the date of vesting of the estate.   It  would<br \/>\nthus appear that in view of sub- section(4) of Section 5 and<br \/>\nsub-section(1)\tof  Section 29 of the Act the mere  fact  of<br \/>\nrecording of the land as Khudkasht in the settlement records<br \/>\non the date of vesting would not be enough for a Zamindar or<br \/>\nBiswedar  to  acquire Khatedari rights over the said  lands;<br \/>\nthe Zamindar or Biswedar should be in possession\/ occupation<br \/>\nof the said lands on the date of vesting of the estate under<br \/>\nthe  Act.   The\t possession\/occupation\t envisaged  by\tsub-<br \/>\nsection(4)  of Section 5 and sub-section(1) of Section 29 of<br \/>\nthe  Act is actual possession\/occupation and the  possession<br \/>\nof a mortgagor through the mortgagee cannot be held to be in<br \/>\npossession  or occupation as postulated in sub-section(4) of<br \/>\nSection 5 and sub-section (1) of Section 29 of the Act.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  the  present case the appellant has come  forward<br \/>\nwith  a specific case in the plaint that the defendant is in<br \/>\npossession  of the lands in dispute as a mortgagee from\t the<br \/>\ndate  of  the two mortgagees.  In other words the  appellant<br \/>\nwas  not  in possession\/occupation of the said lands on\t the<br \/>\ndate  of  vesting of the estate of the appellant  under\t the<br \/>\nAct.   The  appellant  cannot,\ttherefore,  claim  Khatedari<br \/>\nrights in respect of the lands in dispute.\n<\/p>\n<p>      On consideration of the facts and circumstances of the<br \/>\ncase  as  revealed  from  the materials on  record  and\t the<br \/>\nrelevant provisions of the Zamindari Abolition Act it is our<br \/>\nconsidered  view  that\tthe  principles laid  down  and\t the<br \/>\nobservations  made in Budha Vs.\t Amilal (supra) apply in all<br \/>\nforce  to  the\tpresent\t case.\tWe are\talso  in  respectful<br \/>\nagreement  with\t the  principles  laid\t down  in  the\tsaid<br \/>\ndecision.   Therefore,\tthe appellants cannot be said to  be<br \/>\nkhatedar  tenants  of  the  land in  dispute.\tThe  first<br \/>\nquestion  formulated earlier is answered in the negative and<br \/>\nin  view of that answer the further question does not  arise<br \/>\nfor  consideration.  The High Court was right in  dismissing<br \/>\nthe suit.  The appeal is dismissed.  No costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India Bir Singh &amp; Ors vs Pyare Singh &amp; Ors on 6 March, 2000 Author: D.P.Mohapatra Bench: S.S.Ahmad, D.P.Mohapatro PETITIONER: BIR SINGH &amp; ORS. Vs. RESPONDENT: PYARE SINGH &amp; ORS. DATE OF JUDGMENT: 06\/03\/2000 BENCH: S.S.Ahmad, D.P.Mohapatro JUDGMENT: D.P.MOHAPATRA,J. On analysis of the case of the parties and the contentions raised on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Bir Singh &amp; Ors vs Pyare Singh &amp; Ors on 6 March, 2000 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; High Court | Legal India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/bir-singh-ors-vs-pyare-singh-ors-on-6-march-2000\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bir Singh &amp; 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